** NOTE: These are Dept of Justice statistics. since a surprising number of posters here appear convinced their Gov is out to get them, I suppose it would be consistent to discard these numbers as propaganda to mislead the populace.. if so, well, stop reading right now I guess, I got nothin for ya.

Read the whole thing, but some highlites are:

Males represented 77% of homicide victims and nearly 90% of offenders. The victimization rate for males was 3 times higher than the rate for females. The offending rate for males was almost 9 times higher than the rate for females.

Approximately a third (34%) of murder victims and almost half (49%) of the offenders were under age 25. For both victims and offenders, the rate per 100,000 peaked in the 18 to 24 year-old age group.

Blacks were disproportionately represented as both homicide victims and offenders. The victimization rate for blacks was 6 times higher than the rate for whites. The offending rate for blacks was almost 8 times higher than the rate for whites.

78.1% of victims were classified as "Nonstrangers" with respect to the assailant. (ie: not random mass shootings)

What story does the data tell? If you are a black male 25 or under, you are statistically far more likely to be involved somehow in a gun fatality than anyone else. If it does happen, it probably wont be part of a mass shooting of innocent strangers.

However, a very tiny percentage of voters can relate to being in that high risk position (black + male already reduces you down to less than 10% according to the census, regardless of economic position)

A MUCH larger percentage of voters can relate to having a child in school, regardless of race or income.

Thus, it should come as no surprise at all that it's much easier to find folks worked up over something like Newtown, that they could imagine themselves being caught up in, compared to gang shootings that they can't picture themselves in, even if the latter event happens more often.

Gang bangers don't have mothers? You don't think they want the police to stop gang violence in their neighborhood? Their percentage is larger yet their voice is smaller.

If total gun homicides this year was 72 dead would there be a cry to stop gun violence in this country?

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"There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of the law and in the name of justice. -Charles de Secondat"